Ted and Gina's Excellent Adventure

Paris France
September 20-25

After two and a half weeks in Paris, Shaun and I had really gotten to know the city well and we felt like we were really living like Parisians. (Well, Parisians who don't have jobs!) We had explored the outdoor markets, the parks and the festivals. We had shopped in the grocery stores and of course, the wine stores. We had gone to the cinema and the bakeries and the museums. And we had walked. And walked. And walked.

We ate mostly street food for lunch and for entertainment we kept to things that were either free or very low cost. In a city like this, with so much to see and do, it didn't even feel like a sacrifice. We knew the time to splurge would come and we wanted to save for that time. Well last weekend the time was finally at hand! We were having visitors who had never been to Paris before and we wanted to really show them the city. Ted and Gina were arriving on Thursday for what would become a whirlwind three day visit that would test our stamina for exploring... and our livers.

First, a bit about Gina and Ted. Ted, Gina and I all went to college together in the early 90s at a small Catholic college in Vermont. I met Gina freshman year and we have been the best of friends ever since. Ted and I became friends sophomore year while Gina was abroad in London and when she came back and met Ted it was obvious that they were both smitten with each other. They dated during college, but broke up for a while in the early years after college. In the meantime, I had met Shaun at work after college and we had become great friends (with an underlying current of love). Ted met Shaun through me and they eventually became roommates in Cambridge. One weekend Gina made a last minute trip to visit me. I was already planning to meet up with friends from college, including Ted, so Gina came along. There is much debate as to whether I forewarned Ted about this, but either way it worked out for the best. They married a few years later and now have three beautiful kids.

In the meantime, Shaun had moved to Waltham. He was newly single and living in a house by himself. We still saw each other quite frequently, but just as friends. Ted was the one who suggested we should become roommates. I moved in in January of 2003 and it was on one of our European adventures three years later that everything changed for us. We married in 2007. Gina was the "best woman" at my wedding and I was the same at hers. We've vacationed together many times, but usually much closer to home! So needless to say, we were really excited to have them join us in Paris.

The visit started out innocuously enough. They arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport at around 11am on Thursday. The plan was to take the RER train from the airport into the city and switch to the metro to get to their hotel. I was impressed with their sense of adventure already. I gave them all the info we could think of about what they would need to do, including how to order their tickets into Paris and a Carnet of 10 tickets for later metro rides. Then we waited to hear from them. It seemed to be taking a long time and I was hoping they weren't having a misadventure, but it turned out the French bureaucracy was to blame. Apparently there was only one guy at customs and immigration and he decided it was time for a break while they were trying to get through! After that mess, getting into Paris was easy!

Ted and Gina upon arrival in Paris at the Saint Michel Fountain


After checking into their hotel, they came to meet us and we were off to get lunch. They were both starving so we decided to go somewhere local. Our area is pretty touristy but we found a place that had things on the menu for everyone's taste and settled in for our meals. We had a glass of wine with lunch just to "take the edge off" and then headed down the street to show them the Seine. It was an absolutely gorgeous day so there were people everywhere on the river. Some were just hanging out reading, others were in groups, usually with a bottle of wine and some food. A classic Parisian experience. Next we took them over to see Notre Dame but the line to go in was outrageous so they just took some pictures and walked around the area. It didn't matter anyway because we had other places to be! It was Gina's birthday so they had booked a champagne tasting cruise on the Seine for all four of us!

The cruise was really fun. We took the metro out to the Eiffel Tower where the boat set sail. We got on first and picked some seats up by the front of the boat. The tasting consisted of three different types of Champagne, a dry (Brut), a semi dry (semi Brut) and a rose. The champagnes were nice, but the cruise was the draw. We went from one end of the city to the other at that perfect time of day when the sun is just starting to set. You know what would have been great? If I had remembered to take some photos of that? Oops, but don't worry there are plenty more.

We thought that Ted and Gina would have been too tired after such a long day, but they were good to go so we headed off to find dinner. There is a bar over by the Louvre called Willi's Wine bar which was our intended destination, but we got completely sidetracked and as always, it worked out great. On our way to find Willi's we passed by a really cool pub that Shaun and I had gone to a few years ago called Au Caveau Montpensier. It's a really neat cellar bar in the 1st with an Irish owner. We got to talking to them over beers and mentioned that we were headed to Willi's wine bar at which point he suggested another place. He said it was small but far less touristy than Willi's with better food. When we said we liked that idea, they called over and made a reservation for us. The place was called Juveniles. Perfect for us.

We got to Juveniles and the place was packed. It only seated maybe 40 people at best, mainly because there were crates of wine all along the walls. It was a wine shop/restaurant, a very popular trend in Paris. I told the waiter we had called and made a reservation and he let us know that the table would be a few minutes but motioned for us to head inside to the back of the restaurant. First off, let me say, I thought that was a little strange considering the fact that it was so packed. But they said to go back, so we did and we were happy we did. They poured us glasses of champagne for the trouble of waiting, which we probably didn't need but gladly accepted! Then it was on to eating and we were famished! Dinner was excellent. We started with a salad with quail and squash soup for the entrees and then Duck for Ted and I, and Veal for Shaun and Gina. By the time dinner was over, everyone was beat so Shaun and I headed home on foot, while Ted and Gina got a cab back to their place in the 14th. We made a plan to meet in the morning at the Eiffel tower.

Shaun took this picture on our walk home from dinner. It is outside the Louvre at night with the floodlight from the Eiffel tower in the background

The next morning we all got back together, refreshed and ready to see the town. Even though we got to the Eiffel Tower ten minutes after it opened, the line was long. Luckily, it didn't take very long to go through. I had already decided the second floor was good enough for me, so Shaun, Ted and Gina headed to the top, while I stayed on the Second Level. I ordered a coffee and a pastry from the cafe inside and chilled out over the top of the city while I waited for them to come down.

The general plan we had made only really involved doing about 5 things, but man did we blow that plan out of the water. After telling them about a few of our favorite places in Paris, we ended up getting a two day museum pass and giving that thing a work-out!! From the Eiffel tower we went to the Arch de Triomphe, where we climbed the 284 steps that take you to the top. The views from the top are totally worth it. By that time we were starving so it was Mussels and Fries on the Champs Elysees for lunch. Then it was off to Invalides to see Napoleon's tomb and then to the Rodin Museum to see the Thinker and the Kiss. We had the pass so we were able to skip the lines and walk right in, which saved us boatloads of time. When we finished up at the Rodin Museum we needed to relax a bit so we went to the cafe and ordered some wine and a dessert. By now it was about 4pm so I kept checking to make sure our guests weren't getting too tired. They were in good shape.

Ted and Gina at the top of the Arch de Triomphe

My favorite picture from the visit. That is Ted doing his very best imitation of a French Guy while we ate Mussels and Fries


We decided that a late afternoon trip to the Louvre would be the last touristy thing for the day. The lines die down after 5pm or so we had to kill some time. What better way than an impromptu picnic by the Seine!? We picked up a bottle of red, a baguette and some cups and made our way down to the river. As I mentioned before, the weather was absolutely beautiful so it was perfect for picnicking.

Ted and Shaun in the shade. Is it just me or do they look a little sketchy?

Just a couple of BFFs hanging out on a beautiful day!

With our bellies full of bread and wine, it was time to tackle the Louvre. If you are only going to be in Paris for three days, you need to go into this with a plan and for us that plan was called Denon! For most people, everything you want to see on a whirlwind Louvre tour will be in Denon. The Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and the Venus de Milo are all in the Denon wing. The hilarious thing is that so many people come to the Louvre just to see the Mona Lisa that there are now signs at practically every intersection pointing you in the direction of La Giaconda (her Italian name). I've been to see her a few times over the years and this was the best viewing yet. Normally you have to stand behind 50 people and jump up and down to see her, but at the end of the day it was nice and quiet. We even got a few up close and personal shots!

Hanging out with La Giaconda

Winged Victory- one of my favorites

Everybody always takes pictures of the Venus de Milo from the front. I decided to be different! Did you know she had Le Plumbers Butt?


After the Louvre, we made the terrible decision to walk to the Pompidou Center. It was just too late in the day, we had walked for miles and everyone was tired and hungry. To add insult to injury the restaurant at the top was only allowing diners to sit outside. We were just there for a pre-dinner drink (see what I mean about my liver?) so we took some photos and left. We needed a new plan.

The bar may have been closed but the sunset was incredible regardless.

Luck was on our side again. Our sweet landlord, Bernard, had left an old Frommers guidebook in the hotel and we had taken it with us. One of the restaurants listed was nearby, a place called Le Felteu. The description pretty much said "it ain't pretty to look at but the food is good" so we knew what we were getting into. Sort of. When we arrived there was a burly older gentleman with tattoos all over his arms was behind the bar. When I told him we wanted dinner for 4 he escorted us into a fairly dingy dining room. He brought us the chalkboard menu and left us to make our choices. When he came back to take our order he started with me. I ordered a salad and tried to order my main plate but "NON!", that was not to be done. He wanted all the entrees (apps) first. A few times we strayed from this by asking for something (water, wine etc) before he was ready but he put us back in our places "NON!". And by the way, he was sitting down next to us the whole time, which is the second time I've seen that.

Once the regimented ordering was done, it was time for the food. It was excellent. The guidebook was right, not much to look at but delicious food. And we all noticed that the place filled up with locals as the night wore on, always a good sign. I ordered Lamb and the others all ordered duck confit, which is a duck leg cooked for hours in fat and one of the greatest food items in the world if you don't mind me saying! The best though was the side dish. Along with your vegetables and a little thing of mashed potatoes, they served us two casserole dishes of some sort of potato gratin, which was hot and bubbly and delicious. We washed it all down with the house Bordeaux and some homey desserts like Tarte Tatin, a baked apple dish that was fabulous.

You might think at that point we were tired of all the sightseeing and drinks and food, but NON! You would be wrong. It was off to bed for the night to get ready for Versailles in the morning and a very long afternoon and evening of celebrating Gina and Ted's last night in Paris.

The next morning Shaun and I were about to leave the apartment when we called Gina and Ted's hotel to make sure they were leaving as well. When Ted answered it was obvious that I was waking him up, so we got a bit of a late start on Versailles. We took the RER train out of the city and arrived at Versailles mid-morning. Like the Eiffel Tower, the line was long but went quickly. We toured the castle and took a cursory look at the grounds but decided not to pay the extra to tour the gardens as this was their last day and we wanted to spend it in Paris.

Gina walking through the Hall of Mirrors in te Versaille Palace. The castle is beautiful but it was crazy crowded inside and we all felt a bit like cattle. Very wealthy cattle.

Ted and Gina outside the Palace

Shaun and I outside the Palace from the opposite side

When we arrived back in Paris, we walked over to Rue de Buci where we picked up things for lunch at the apartment. First and foremost was a chicken, which I went to get. Shaun went to get wine and for some reason thought sending Gina and Ted to the charcuterie was a good idea. After they got yelled at for touching the goat cheese they came and found me. I explained that in a shop like this, you have to tell them what you want and they will get it for you. (I also explained that that was the last place Shaun should have sent them alone!) We picked up some cheese and prosciutto with no yelling and headed back to the apartment for lunch. Chicken, olives, figs with proscitto and goat cheese, and of course, bread and wine. Yum.

After having our fill of food and wine we headed out for the last thing on Ted and Gina's list, the catacombs. In the 18th century, the graveyards of Paris had become so overcrowded that they decided to empty them all out and put the bones, neatly stacked, under the city. It is estimated that there are the remains of 6 MILLION Parisians under the city. Don't believe me? Look it up. Anyway, I would love to tell you how creepy it was but like many Parisian things seem to do, they closed early.

So what were we to do? A library perhaps? A classical music show? One of the magnificent cathedrals? Or how about an Australian Pub for beers? Of course, that was the option we chose! It was quite fun. The waitress was Australian and had tips for Shaun and I for our journey. (We get a lot of that, which is great). So we had our beers and bemoaned the fact that we couldn't see dead people and headed to our respective places to shower up for dinner.

Beers at the Australian bar near the catacombs

Dinner that night was at a place called Pre Verre. It gets great reviews everywhere but it wasn't my favorite meal of the trip. Part of it was what I ordered. It was suckling pig, but it was served in some sort of cream sauce and it was braised, so there was no crispy skin. (Why get pork if there's no crispy skin?) Gina got the same thing as me and although she didn't say it, I think she was in agreement. After dinner we were thinking the night was coming to an end (it wasn't) and that we needed just a little more wine (we didn't) so I asked if we could buy a bottle from Pre Verre. The owner didn't seem to want to, but our waiter took matters into his own hands and sold us a bottle for 15 euro. We took our bottle and the cups we had bought the day before and headed down to the Seine.

Just some friends quietly having drinks by the Seine. Riggghhhhttt.


I think I'll just end the post that way. I'll leave you with the lovely idea of Ted, Gina, Shaun and I having some wine down by the water in the moonlight. You don't need to know that we were probably way too loud and silly. And you don't need to know that we later visited an Irish pub for beers. Or that I woke up vowing to forsake alcohol forever and considering elective surgery to have my liver removed. Just imagine four great friends having a quiet glass of red wine along the Seine in the moonlight. Au Revoir Ted and Gina!